Holzer Name:_________________
Anticipation Guide for "The Tell-Tale Heart"
Part I. – Describe 5 things that you expect to find in scary stories.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Part II. – Read the following statements and decide whether you agree or disagree with them.
Place an X in the correct column. After reading the story, go back and decide if the author
agrees or disagrees with these same statements.
Statements You You Author Author
Agree Disagree Agrees Disagrees
1. People who
are insane always
know that they
are insane.
2. Sane people
sometimes
imagine that they
hear things.
3. If you commit
a major crime,
sooner or later
you will be
caught.
4. When you’ve
done something
wrong, it’s agony
to wonder if
you’ll be caught.
5. All people
share the same
fears (i.e., the
same things
frighten all
people.)
Holzer Name:_________________
VOCABULARY LIST FOR EDGAR ALLAN POE’S "THE TELL-Tale HEART"
1. acute - adjective - sharp or keen (as in an acute sense of hearing)
2. audacity - noun - presumption; insolence; impudence; bold courage; daring
3. derision - noun - contempt or ridicule
4. foresight - noun - a looking forward; the power to see what will happen; thoughtful regard
for the future
5. mockery - noun - a person or thing receiving or deserving ridicule or derision; an impertinent
imitation
6. premises - noun - a piece of real estate; a house or building and its land
7. profound - adjective - marked by intellectual depth; deeply or intensely felt
8. raved - verb - to talk wildly with excessive enthusiasm (about someone or something)
9. refrained - verb - held back; kept from doing something
10. sagacity - noun - keen perception or penetrating intelligence; sound judgment
11. stifled - verb - to suppress or hold back; to check or stop
12. unperceived - verb - not seen or understood
13. vehemently - adverb - acting with great force; violently or forcefully
14. vex - verb - to disturb or annoy; to terrify
15. waned - verb - to become less intense (as in The light of the moon waned as dawn
approached.)
Definitions from http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew/lesson/961/voclisttelltaleheart.doc
Holzer Name:_________________
Vocabulary Sentences for "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
Directions: Write the vocabulary word that fits each sentence.
1. When you make a ** of something, you are making fun of it.
2. The police found the evidence on the **.
3. The speaker said his sense of hearing was **.
4. A person who displays ** has a very high opinion of himself.
5. He was upset by the ** of his friends.
6. Sandy has ** , she plans ahead.
7. His knowledge of the subject was **.
8. The speaker ** at the policemen.
9. Wisely, Sarah ** from arguing with her mother.
10. Few of us will ever be said to have **.
11. Randy ** a laugh when he saw the play.
12. ** danger is the most dangerous because you don’t see what is coming.
13. The defendant ** denied having committed the crime.
14. If you ** someone, you have upset and confused them.
15. The light of the moon ** as the dawn approached.
Sentences from http://www.thesolutionsite.com/lpnew/lesson/961/vocsentpoeheart.doc
Holzer Name:_________________
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
Literary Terms to Know
These are literary terms you should become familiar with. You should be able to discuss how
Poe uses each one of these in his story.
characterization: the author's expression of a character's personality through the use of action,
dialogue, thought, or commentary by the author or another character.
conflict: the struggle within the story. Character divided against self, character against character,
character against society, character against nature, character against God. Without it, there is no
story.
dialogue: vocal exchange between two or more characters. One of the ways in which plot,
character, action, etc. are developed.
imagery: the collection of images within a literary work. Used to evoke atmosphere, mood,
tension. For example, images of crowded, steaming sidewalks flanking streets choked with lines
of shimmering, smoking cars suggests oppressive heat and all the psychological tensions that go
with it.
point of view: the vantage point from which the author presents action of the story. Who is
telling the story? An all-knowing author? (third person-omniscient) A voice limited to the views
of one character? (third person-limited) The voice and thoughts of one character? (first person)
Does the author change point of view in the story? Why? Point of view is often considered the
technical aspect of fiction which leads the critic most readily into the problems and meanings of
the story.
symbol: related to imagery. It is something which is itself yet stands for or means something
else. It tends to be more singular, a bit more fixed than imagery. For example, in Lessing's "A
Woman on a Roof," the brief red sun suit seems to symbolize the woman's freedom and
independence from externally imposed standards of behavior.
tone: suggests an attitude toward the subject which is communicated by the words the author
chooses. Part of the range of tone includes playful, somber, serious, casual, formal, ironic.
Important because it designates the mood and effect of a work.
Holzer Name:_________________
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Describe the narrator in detail. What is your first impression of him?
2. How does the opening paragraph foreshadow the events of the story?
3. What specifically is it about the old man that troubles the narrator? Why does it trouble him?
4. What does the narrator do every night? Why?
5. To whom might the narrator be telling his story? Where do you think he is as he tells it?
6. How does the narrator feel after he commits the murder? Is he worried about being caught?
7. The narrator tries desperately to convince his listener that he is sane. What evidence does he give? How
do his arguments actually demonstrate his madness?
8. What is your explanation for the “heartbeat” noise that drives the narrator to confess? Draw on
evidence from the text to support your opinion.
9. In your opinion, why is this story called “The Tell-Tale Heart”? Can you think of more than one
meaning for the title?
10. Name 3 details, descriptions, or actions that Poe uses to create an eerie and chilling mood.
Holzer Name:_________________
Writing a news story
News reporters use this guide when writing a story. Use this chart to fill in the facts in “The Tell-
Tale Heart.” Then write a paragraph that could be submitted as a news story. Make up your
own headline for the story.
What happened?
Who was there?
Why did it happen?
When did it happen?
Where did it happen?
HEADLINE:
Holzer Name:_________________
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
by Edgar Allan Poe
Essay Question:
How does Edgar Allan Poe keep the reader in suspense in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
To prepare yourself to answer this in a well-developed essay, do the following:
1. In your own words, explain what happens in the story.
2. In a paragraph, describe the character telling the story. #1 Study Questions
3. Reread the story and underline all the words that suggest fear and horror.
Edgar Allan Poe uses language and literary devices to make the reader feel tense during the story.
4. How does the first sentence of the story create suspense?
Poe talks about TIME throughout the story:
5. Find three quotations to do with TIME going slowly in the story.
6. Find two quotations to do with TIME going fast within the story.
Holzer Name:_________________
7. Write a paragraph about why Poe mentions TIME so much in the story, and why he changes the
pace of the story from slow to fast.
Poe repeats words a great deal in the story i.e. "Very, very slowly".
8. Write down 3 examples of repetition and explain why Poe repeats words and phrases.
Poe uses noises to create atmosphere in the story. The main character says "I heard many things in
hell."
9. Fill in this table (Find 2 more noises.)
Noise Effect on the reader Reason why Poe chose the noise
(Quote)
Example Reminds the reader of horror Slow action, spooky noise, associated
"Hinges films: they want to know who with old houses that have been
creaked" is behind the door! neglected.
Descriptive Language: Poe describes everything in great detail so that the reader can imagine the story
like a film. He uses lots of imagery.
10. List some of the evil words that he uses: what effect do they have in the story and on the reader?
Holzer Name:_________________
11. How does he make the "eye" sound disgusting?
12. How does he make the death sound disgusting?
The story is written in first person narrative by the main character.
13. List 3 quotations where the main character directly refers to the reader. Why does Poe do this?
14. Why does Poe have the murderer tell the story?
15. In your own words, explain why this story gripped your imagination.
Here is the question again:
How does Edgar Allan Poe keep the reader in suspense in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
Holzer Name:_________________
Holzer Name:_________________